#fungus scifi

[hezzabeth]

Revati stormed out into the hot, heavy darkness. Everything was quiet and still, the dead hair dryer was smoking. In the distance, someone was singing. Revati walked towards it, her feet stumbling over tree roots. Bridgadeiro Bun was sitting next to a tree.

"I told you to wait at camp," Revati gently scolded him.

"I got bored! Are you ready to go? Mama hates it when I'm late for Apple day Dinner," Bridgadeiro taking her hand.

It was a new vibrant gesture.

One that for a long time Revati never dared wished for.

A gesture that began a few short months ago with a dance.

Bridgadeiro's eyes suddenly widened with surprise and he gasped. A thick plastic cord had sprung from the feel, wrapping itself around his neck.

Three hair dryers remained, and Revati had one more to confront.

"Will you please just let him go? I have a weapon," Revati addressed the darkness.

An older hair dryer appeared, its black cord attached to its base.

"You humans killed my husband, the least I can do is kill yours," the hair dryer said in a lady's voice. Strictly speaking, the appliances didn't actually need electric cords or genders, or spouses for that matter. For a species that despises humans, they did seem to copy them quite a bit.

"He's not my husband!" Revati pointed out. In truth, she wasn't sure what Bridgadeiro was. When she said goodbye to him four years ago at the end of an empty train ride, she was sure she'd never see him again. But then a week or so later, he appeared "just to check up on his tent." This happened quite often, no matter where Revati went. When he wasn't visiting, he sent messages to Revati's bangle, photos of random things he had spotted, such as a butterfly on a garbage bin, sincere questions about what she was up to. Every year, Revati put her foot down and insisted on traveling back to Olde Landon for Diwali, and every year for three years running, Bridgadeiro Bun was waiting at the gates.

One year he had actually, much to everyone's horror, brought the infamous ex-girlfriend, Margarine. She was a short and extraordinarily pretty girl with freckles and Snow White hair. Whenever she stood next to Bridgadeiro, she clung to his arm in a way that showed off her cleavage. They stayed for the entire two-week festival. Margarine kept exclaiming over how "adorable" everything was while also bragging about her family's "modern living orb." She insisted on sleeping with Bridgadeiro in the greenhouse but complained the next morning about how the soil bags hurt her back. It seemed like she was obsessed with getting every single resident's name wrong. Needless to say, everyone was happy when Bridgadeiro arrived alone the next year.

"Then you don't care if I kill him?" the hair dryer asked.

"Of course I care!" Revati protested. Last Diwali, during Lakshmi Pujan, Bridgadeiro had helped her walk up and down Baker Street, handing out firecrackers to all the residents.

"I can't believe you brought these all the way from your space station!" Revati remarked.

"Well, your Nanni said last year she missed being able to say goodbye to your ancestors properly," he said with a small shrug.

"You're far too helpful! Look at everything you've done," Revati remarked, gesturing about. The plants Bridgadeiro had grown on Baker Street were still thriving. Several of Dusk's students were picking winter berries.

"It's not that much, and it's the least I can do," he replied.

"You repaid me for saving your life a long time ago," Revati said, glancing toward him. They were standing so close together their hands were almost touching. When Revati turned her head toward him, she briefly felt one of his cotton candy curls brush against her cheek.

"Oh no, I do all these things because I like you," he replied. The space between them was very close. In the distance, Revati could hear the whoosh and bang of firecrackers.

Revati swung the mace with a practiced, perfect motion, slamming it into the hair dryer. The air filled with beautiful bright sunlight, and the hair dryer collapsed. Bridgadeiro fell to the ground, still gasping desperately.

"Did you... have to kill her?" Bridgadeiro gasped.

"She's an AI machine; they're probably uploading her brain into a new dishwasher as we speak," Revati reassured him.

There was a clanking sound, and the android appeared.

"Good evening, your majesty," Bridgadeiro wheezed.

"I thought you told your pet clown to wait at the tent," the android remarked coldly as Revati helped Bridgadeiro up.

"He got bored," Revati said as Bridgadeiro brushed down the front of his blue-checked shirt.

"No real harm done! Do you want to head back to the tent to get your luggage?" Bridgadeiro asked Revati, who nodded as something twisted in her stomach. Nerves.

In the year 3556, there were exactly four hundred and eighty-seven major religions across the solar system. There were the old classics such as Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. There were the meta religions such as the Lovecraftians who worshiped fictional kings in yellow. There were the cults that worshiped objects such as carrots and shoes. Then there were the historical figure faiths. The Church of Dollyhart. The Temple of Sweet Baby Elvis. One of the largest historical religions was, of course, "Goupism," or as Nanni called it, "That parasite cult."

As far as Revati could tell, Goupism centered around a beautiful lady who long ago stole hundreds of ideologies. Of course, "Goupers" didn't call it that. They called it "mindful integration."

Bridgadeiro wasn't a religious nut. He didn't force people to wear nothing but an assigned color. He also didn't spray people with "psychic vampire" spray. He did, however, have faith. Faith wasn't something Revati really encountered.

"So, this holiday you're taking me to is to celebrate the existence of apples?" Revati confirmed as they stumbled upwards in the dark.

"Apples, ridiculous! In my court, we only attend festivals that are at least a thousand years old," the android remarked, its eyes lighting the way.

"It's to celebrate both apples and the goddess's daughter. It's about how such a simple universal fruit can be used to fulfill so many needs," Bridgadeiro explained to the android.

"I do like apple juice and apple pie," Revati conceded.

"Not to mention apple cider," Bridgadeiro added.

Up ahead, Bridgadeiro's tent shimmered in the dark. When Revati first heard about Bridgadeiro's tent, she was expecting an all-terrain raincoat propped up on a stick. Instead, the tent was a massive blood-red bioluminescent mushroom. As they approached the tent, Bridgadeiro gently pushed aside some of the fungus, creating a small opening. Once they were inside, the fungus sealed behind them. The inside of the tent was filled with sinister red light. A light Revati had long ago gotten used to.

"You know in my court, we have a massive Chocovale festival! We create an entire palace using only the finest Neptunian cocoa," the android declared as Revati grabbed her luggage. Her luggage consisted of a battered backpack stuffed to the top.

"That's nice," Revati replied. It was best to act as polite and dull as possible whenever the android went on one of her "court" rants.

"Never settle for apples when you can have chocolate, my dear," the android replied, and Revati smacked the android with the side of her bag.

"I thought we agreed when I signed my working contract that you would stay out of my personal life!" Revati snapped back.

Four years ago, Revati had been nothing more than an unpaid sidekick. Three years ago, however, when it became obvious that Dityaa did not want to be found, Revati almost went home. Then the android started doing something extraordinary. The android started paying her. Paying her to follow along, changing parts, and polishing metal as they traveled from city to city. Paying her to fight off bandits who were trying to steal the android's eyes. Sometimes it seemed like she paid Revati just to listen. Revati didn't want to think about being a ghost haunting an android for money.

"We did, but your personal life is interfering with your work! We are so close to finding Perdita! Closer than we've ever been! And you're running off to pick apples with your beau," the android snapped.

Revati glared at the android before grabbing Bridagdeiro by shirt and defiantly kissing him.

"My holiday break started twenty minutes ago! If I want to pick apples, I will pick apples," Revati spat back after letting a shocked Bridgadeiro go.

"We don't actually pick the apples on apple day; we did that two weeks ago," Bridgadeiro remarked, touching his lips and looking stunned.

"Really, Revati? You can do so much better than this! Once I find Perdita, I can find you a spouse that rules an entire moon," the android sighed, and Revati folded her arms.

"Maternity droid, open up battery-saving mode," Revati said.

"Don't you dare!" The android shrieked.

"Enter sleep mode until the battery is fully charged," Revati said, and the android slowly made a clicking sound as it powered down.

"Her battery won't start charging until the sun rises, and then we'll have ten hours," Revati said, pulling a small eye dropper out of her pants pocket. Carefully, she squeezed a drop of liquid onto the tent's walls, and they exploded in a cloud of glittery spores. Revati put the eye dropper away and pulled out a small plastic box, using it to scoop up some of the spores.

Revati was going to reluctantly miss the rainforest; it was nice being able to go out at night without freezing to death.

"You kissed me," Bridgadeiro stammered as Revati put the box away.

"I kissed you to prove a point," Revati replied, holding up a hand.

"The last time you did that, you said it was never going to happen again," Bridgadeiro replied, gently grabbing her hand.

Revati stared at it briefly, remembering last Diwali, the fireworks crackling in the sky, Bridgadeiro's hair smelling like lemon and spices.

"Because of Margarine! You kept breaking up and getting back together with her so many times it gave me psychic whiplash," Revati said, snatching her hand away.

"And I told you that night it was done," Bridgadeiro said gently. It was that same gentle voice that so many fell in love with. Everyone adored Bridgadeiro, the way people loved marshmallows and pillows.

"And I told you I'm nobody's second choice," Revati said firmly before scanning the dark, trying to find the track that eventually led to the forest's main town.

The sort of people who loved Revati were the crazy ones who loved ghost peppers and hardback chairs.

"You're not second! I invited you to Apple day," Bridgadeiro said as Revati began to walk down the path, leaving the sleeping android behind.

"Let's just keep going! The town is an hour's walk away," Revati replied.

"Can I hold your hand? You might slip in the dark," Bridgadeiro replied.

"Fine," Revati conceded. In the buzzing insect darkness, someone watched them go.

[fatihulusoy]

Greetings folks! Did somebody say fungus bots? its time to spore some trouble i guess :) ok it wasnt funny i get it.. Anyways meet with new fungus based biohybrid bot..

before i start to explain how its works lets take a look at its backstory shall we?

The idea was almost age old actually, experimentation of soft body robotics and bio robotics and today its reshape as we see biohybrid robotics with the search for more sustainable, self-healing, and biodegradable materials. Traditional robots are often made from synthetic materials and metals, which can be rigid, non-biodegradable, and challenging to repair. The researchers at Cornell University sought to overcome these limitations by integrating biological elements into robotic systems.

The team turned to mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, which has the unique ability to grow, self-repair, and biodegrade. Mycelium is also known for its strength and flexibility, making it an ideal candidate for use in soft robotics. By embedding mycelium within a network of sensors and actuators, the researchers created a biohybrid bot capable of sensing its environment and responding to stimuli, all while being environmentally friendly.

This fungus bot represents a significant step towards more sustainable robotics, demonstrating how living organisms can be harnessed to create innovative and eco-friendly technologies. The research also opens up possibilities for robots that can grow, adapt, and repair themselves in ways that conventional robots cannot, potentially revolutionizing fields such as environmental monitoring, agriculture, and even healthcare.

there is four actual elements that actually runs this bot besides of shell.

Fungus's Mycelium

Fungus's slug

UV light or UV array in the sun light

Electricity (it seperates as fungus related electrical pulse and electricity waves from censors)

firstly lets start with fungus mycelium: Mycelia are the underground vegetative part of mushrooms, and they have a number of advantages. They can grow in harsh conditions. They also have the ability to sense chemical and biological signals and respond to multiple inputs. so basically its neural system that transfers certain commands of activities between root and fungus itself

its slug is basically fungus's cell system or actual biohybrid organism it this case

once mycelium gets affected by UV lights it generates small electricity pulses to slug system and when slugs gets electrocuted by these pulses it acts like a muscle basically and it causes the slug to move or contract its muscles to activate.

and once you figure out how you gonna shape its muscle system and house them carefully you will have a "biohybrid robot" as their terms

the reason im taking this now is it reminded me "Fungus Baby Experiments" which is an inside name for series of projects that been continued for a while after corona until now.. Simply, the goal was to create or adapt an organism to thrive in different environments and make sure these environments livable by humans in the future by manipulating with artificial and external factors. Google it :)

anyways.. thats all from me this time..

until next time..

Sources:

for fungus baby experiments:

[bob-the-seagull-king]

WITNESS THE REALMS BEYOND

Officially announcing the upcoming kickstarter for VISIONS UNVEILED - A Catalogue of the Collectively Conjured. This is a labour of love between me and some amazing artists and we're so excited to finally show it off. Find the pre-launch page below!!!!

Check out the pre-launch page and get a taste of what's going to be coming soon! Our campaign officially launches June 15th so be prepared!

Want to be notified, but don't have a kickstarter account? Join our mailing list to get all the information you need sent right to your inbox.

I'm so excited to have this finally out in the world, and want to thank everyone who supported me, most of all the amazing collaborators without which this wouldn't even be possible!!

@quinnred @crabdominalpain @spacemanmacchiato @lil-tachyon

[the-witchhunter]

Idea: fungal based computers

Mycelium aka the network of thread like filaments are a lot like nervous systems and connect and even transmit information through their systems. Like, there are actually spikes of electrical potential that gets transferred through the network and this is essentially the fungus “talking”

So in a scifi setting, what if people figured out how to cultivate a single strain of fungus, or perhaps discovered a strain of fungus on another planets and use that as biological computer system/network as

Do I necessarily think this would be entirely practical? Not really, but mushrooms are cool and I just think that could be fun to play with, especially if it’s a sentient or even sapient system that is learning since it’s essentially an artificial brain

And yes, the fungus can run DOOM

[feuer-in-soho]

The Mycelium Cube, an easy source of food to grow that requires minimal space and upkeep makes it a favorite with remote homesteaders. It is also valued by the city dwellers, stationers and spacers for these factors but also because it's easy to splice the base fungus with a psychedelic one, making it easy to grow large quantities of hallucinogens. That fact makes it a favorite with HORUS cells.

[hiddenpatricia]

The Bloomers.

Chapter 1. The fungal shadow.

Rolane Whiter pressed her gloved hand against the cold glass panel, her breath fogging the surface as she looks closely into the containment chamber. Inside, under the sterile glow of fluorescent lights, a cluster of fungal growths pulsed weakly, as if breathing. Mycelial webs stretched across the brown soil like pale, invasive veins, all turning towards the tiny sapling in the center. It had been unfruitful for the last two weeks, now it stood vibrant and alive, its leaves an unnatural white.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

                 Biara Dubois voice startled Rolane. Her colleague leaned against the doorway of the lab, a cup of warm coffee in her hand. Biara’s dark curls were tied in a low bun, her lab coat splattered with faint traces of soil.

“It’s like we’re watching the Earth heal itself in real-time”

Rolane looked back, acknowledging Biara behind her as they lock eyes. She nodded, agreeing with Biara, before taking her gaze back to the fungus.

“Beautiful, you could say so, but something about it feels.. restless, like it’s searching for something more, something’s missing.”

                Biara raised an eyebrow. “Restless? Ro it’s a fungus not a philosopher.” She sipped her coffee, following it with a slight chuckle. “Come on, don’t let Emil’s big-picture speeches get to you. It’s doing what we designed it to do, just adapt and thrive.” She says as she hits Rolane on the shoulder softly,

                “I know” Rolane murmured, her voice just barely above a whisper. But her unease lingered. The Arbor Bloom Initiative had been her life for the past three years, her passion project, her final chance to make a difference. Yet the fungus they had engineered felt almost too perfect, it grew faster than anticipated, resisted environmental stresses, and communicated with itself through underground networks. The team had celebrated these milestones as miracles. Rolane, however, couldn’t shake the weird sense that they had pushed it too far.

“Dr. Whieter,” a sharp voice cut through the room. Both women turned to see Dr. Emil Coe striding in, his presence commanding as always. His always new tailored suits seemed out of place in the lab,  but Emil never cared for conventions. His piercing eyes locked onto Rolane. “We need you in the briefing room. Now.”

                Rolane exchanged a quick glance with Biara, her colleague raised her eyebrows in a “oh well” gesture, sipping her coffee and patting her on the back as she left. Rolane stood up, and followed Emil down the cold empty corridors.

                The TerraVita facility was basically a labyrinth of glass walls, stell walkways and buzzing sickly fluorescent lights. Every inch of it screamed cutting-edge innovation, a monument to humanity’s determination to undo centuries of environmental damage. Yet beneath its sleek surface, Rolane felt a tension, and she couldn’t quite out a finger on why.

                When they reached the briefing room, Emil didn’t bother with formalities, he gestured to a wall-sized monitor, which displayed a map of a dense forest in northern Canada. Red markers dotted the screen, clustered around a specific area.

“This is our test site,” Emil began, his voice measured but intense. “The Arbor Bloom fungus has exceeded all projections. The area’s biomass has increased by 300% in less than a month. Local wildlife populations are returning. We’re on the verge of finally proving this is scalable.”

Rolane swallowed dry with nerves, her chest tightened. “But those red markers, what are they?”

                Emil hesitated, just for a moment, but it was enough to set Rolane on edge. “Anomalies,” he said, waving a hand dismissively. “Some animals in the region are exhibiting unusual behaviours. Increased aggression, primarily. It’s likely a side effect of reintroducing predators into a recovering ecosystem.”

“Increased aggression?” Rolane pressed, furrowing her eyebrows, “That doesn’t sound like a predator problem. Have you analysed the fungal interactions with the animals’ systems?”

                Emil’s gaze hardened. “We’re monitoring the situation; what matters is that the forest is thriving. This is the breakthrough we’ve been working towards”

“Thriving ecosystems don’t just turn aggressive doctor,” Rolane argued, her voice slightly rising with each sentence. “If the fungus is influencing animal behaviour, we need to understand why. We can’t move forward without all the data.”

                “Dr. Whieter,” Emil’s tone was sharp, his calm veneer cracking. “I appreciate your attention to detail, but this project isn’t about micromanaging every anomaly. It’s about results. Am I making myself clear?”

                Rolane bit back her answer. She could feel Biara’s absence intensely in that moment, her friend’s easy confidence replaced by Emil’s unyielding authority. “Yes, Dr. Coe”, she said finally, though the words tasted bitter.

“Good,” Emil said, smoothing his fixed tie. “I’ll expect your full support at the press conference next week. The world needs to see that we’re delivering hope, not doubts.”

                As Emil exited the room, Rolane sank into a chair, staring at the map on the monitor. Her mind raced with a thousand questions. What were those anomalies, really? And why was Emil so quick to dismiss them? She needed answers and wouldn’t find them sitting still.

                Later that evening, Rolane found herself in a dimly lit bar just a few blocks from the TerraVita facility. The room smelled of aged wood and spilled beer, and faint jazz music played in the background. She sat across from Biara, who was nursing a glass of wine while Rolane swirled her whiskey on the rocks.

                “You’re quiet tonight,” Biara said, swirling the wine in the tall glass she held. “Still thinking about the briefing?”

Rolane nodded. “It’s hard not to. Those red markers… something doesn’t add up. And Emil was like… so dismissive, not like him.”

Biara took a sip of her wine, her expression thoughtful. “He’s always been about the big picture, you know how he thinks this is the final step to basically… everything. If he thinks it’s just noise, maybe it is.”

                “Or maybe he’s hiding something,” Rolane countered, her voice tinged with frustration. “You’ve seen how fast this fungus is evolving. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what it’s capable of.”

Biara sighed, leaning back in her chair. “Look, I get it. You’re worried, but sometimes you need to step back. Take a breath. This is bigger than any one us, and Emil, annoying as he can be, knows what he’s doing.”

                Rolane frowned, her gaze distant. “I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong. And if I’m right… we might be risking more than we realize.”

Biara reached across the table, placing a reassuring hand on Rolane’s arm. “Then we’ll figure it out. Together. But not tonight, okay? Tonight, we drink, and you let yourself be a person for once.”

                A small smile tugged at Rolane’s lips. “Fine. But tomorrow, we start digging.”. Biara raised her glass in a toast. “Deal.”

                As they clinked their glasses, Rolane allowed herself a moment of respite. The weight of her doubts was still there, but for now, she could set them aside. Tomorrow would bring new questions, and hopefully, answers.

[noxturnol]

lethal company oc (: they're a fungus infesting someone from the group that first encountered them. not inherently malicious (they think playing along with crews is fun) but hey if you're already dead what's a nibble between friends

[kodanshamanga]

NEW Kodansha Digital: 🦾Fungus and Iron, Volume 5🦾 By Ayaka Katayama 🍄There are just two other Birthmarks left to find. In search of a new ally, the team travels to the female ward inside the continent that was once Africa. Read via Kodansha

[pencilbrony]

Final day of the hammergoblin festival!

[writing-prompts-for-palestine]

#169

An engineer has fallen in love with her ship. Specifically it's nuclear reactor. It takes the ship medic too long to figure out a new species of fungus has been propagating its spores in the irradiated chamber.

—

Today’s campaign:

Mahmoud, who I have personally donated to.

$14,913/$30,000 [50%]

[simpsforscience]

🤔 While the concept of mind control by a fungus may seem like something out of a horror movie, ☠️ it's a very real phenomenon for ants of tropical forest ecosystems. 🐜🌳 Swipe through this post ➡️ to dive into the terrifying science-fiction like reality of the zombie-ant fungus. 🧟‍♀️🐜🧟‍♂️

[stealreserve211]

Digital collage

[stellarisjuice]

building a Stellaris Empire democratically: part 2

after over a week and not one, but TWO polls (because one of them was somehow a three-way tie between twelve options), it is done, and you selected Fungoids. Now, it's time to pick a portrait.

(and here's the wiki page, it has them all in full resolution, under Fungoids)

Unfortunately, there are 16 in total and Stellaris only lets me put 12 options in a poll, so I made a few... strategic omissions. sorry if you wanted to play as the penis guy but I Am Not Doing That.

(unless enough people pick the reject option and force me to make another goddamn poll. but that's fine, i guess.)

[brainypixel]

For today's Forth World Four alien, we're reaching into the depths of space to show you the fungal-based Peira! I definitely wouldn't want to see one of these guys at the end of a dark corridor.

Link for more info on FWF: https://brainypixel.com/fourth-world-four

Help fund the show by supporting us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/brainypixel

[godofallthings]

Distorted image of a fungus based life-form discovered in outerspace… 🍄✨

[hiddenpatricia]

The Bloomers.

Chapter 2. Fungal roots.

The bar’s atmosphere softened the edges of Rolane’s unease. Between the low hum of conversation and the warmth of the whiskey she cradled, the pressure of the day began to subside. Across the small table, Biara’s expressive eyes lingered on Rolane, her usual light-heartedness tempered with concern.

                “So, what are we drinking to?” Biara asked, raising her glass of red wine. Her smile was playful, but there was a tenderness in her tone.

Rolane tilted her head, a smirk tugging at her lips "Surviving another day of Emil’s lectures?”

Biara laughed softly, the sound curling into the air like smoke. “Cheers to that. But seriously, Ro, you’ve been carrying the weight of this project on your shoulders for years. It’s okay to let some of it go, even if it’s just for tonight.”

                Rolane’s grip on her glass tightened briefly before she forced herself to relax. “It’s not just the ending of the project, Biara. It’s everything. The anomalies, the way Emil brushed them off… It’s like we’re all sprinting towards a finish line without asking if it’s the right race to run.”

                Biara reached across the table, her fingers brushing against Rolane’s wrist. The touch was brief, but it lingered in the air between them. “And that’s why you’re here. To ask the questions no one else will.”

                Rolane’s eyes softened, meeting Biara’s gaze fully for the first time that evening. “You make it sound noble- I’m just… scared, honestly. Scared that we’ve gone too far that there’s no way to undo it.”

                BBiara’s hand remained near Rolane’s, her voice low and steady. “Fear isn’t a bad thing. It means you care, and if it helps, you’re not alone in this. Whatever happens, I’ve got your back,” she says, letting a moment stretch between them. “And probably so does Victor” followed by a chuckle, mentioning the janitor who usually spent some nights at the lab with the workers who stayed late.

                Rolane’s heart thudded, a subtle shift in rhythm she couldn’t ignore. She chuckled, followed by clearing her throat, breaking the moment of silence between their words. “Thanks, Biara. That means a lot.”

Biara leaned back, her teasing grin returning. “Don’t mention it. Just promise me you’ll take a break this weekend. No fungus, no Emil, no existential dread.”

                Rolane chuckled, the sound genuine. “I’ll try. No promises, though.”

                The following morning, the sunlight streaming through Rolane’s apartment window did little to shake the restless thoughts that had trailed her home. She sat on the edge of her bed, scrolling through the latest reports form the Arbor Bloom Initiative. Biara’s voice from the previous night echoed in her mind: “I’ve got your back.”

                Her door buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. She opened it to find Biara standing there, coffee in one hand and a paper bag in the other. “Morning. Figured you could use reinforcements,” Biara said, breezing past her into the apartment.

                Rolane blinked slowly, caught off guard but not unwelcome. “You brought me coffee? What’s the catch?”

Biara set the bag down on the small kitchen table, pulling out two croissants, filled with fresh jam, filling Rolane’s apartment with the warm smell of fresh pastries.

“No catch. Just trying to save you from the horrors of skipping breakfast. Besides, we need to talk strategy.”

“Strategy?” Rolane asked, taking the coffee gratefully.”

“You’re not going to let this anomaly thing go.” Biara said, sitting across from her.

“And if you’re digging, I’m digging with you. But we need a plane that won’t get us both fired”

Rolane’s chest tightened, a mixture of gratitude and guilt. “Biara, you don’t have to get involved. This isn’t your fight.”

“Correction,” Biara said, her tone firm but warm. “You’re my friend. If you’re worried, I’m worried. End of discussion.”

A small smile played on Rolane’s lips. “You’re stubborn, you know that?”

Biara smirked. “Comes with the territory. Now, let’s figure out our next move.”

The rest of the day passed in a comfortable rhythm, with the two women alternating between strategizing and simply talking. They spent hours sprawled on Rolane’s couch; their laptops open but often forgotten as the conversation drifted to lighter topics. Biara teased Rolane about her relentless work ethic, while Rolane learned about Biara’s brief time as a musician before diving into science.

“Wait,” Rolane said, laughing “you played bass in a punk band? I need to see photographic evidence of this.”

Biara groaned, covering her face with a pillow. “Absolutely not. Those photos are classified.”

“Come on, Biara. You can’t drop a bombshell like that and expect me to let if go,” Rolane pressed, her smile wide and genuine.

                Biara peeked out form behind the pillow, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Fine. But only if you tell me something embarrassing about yourself first.”

Rolane hesitated, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Okay, but you can’t laugh”

“No promises,” Biara said, grinning.

Taking a deep breath, Rolane admitted, “I tried to grow a mushroom farm in my dorm room during my undergrad. It… didn’t end well.”

Biara burst out laughing, the sound warm and infectious. “What happened?”

“Let’s just say the smell was so bad that campus housing threatened to evict me,” Rolane said, laughing along with her.

                By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, casting warm golden light across the room, the weight of the anomalies and Emil’s authority felt distant. Rolane couldn’t remember the last time she had spent a day like this, free of deadlines and fear, simply enjoying someone’s company.

                Biara stretched, her arm brushing against Rolane’s as they both reached for the last croissant at the same time. Their fingers touched, and for a moment, neither of them moved.

“You take it,” Biara said softly, her voice tinged with something unspoked.

“No, you bought them,” Rolane replied, her heart thudding in her chest.

Biara smiled, breaking the tension with a laugh. “How about we split it? Seems fair.”

                Rolane nodded, her cheeks warm as Biara broke the croissant in half and handed her a piece. They ate in silence, the moment quiet.

As the evening wore on, Biara eventually stood, her movements reluctant. “I should probably head home before my dog thinks I’ve gone missing.”

Rolane followed her to the door, hesitating as Biara turned to face her. “Thanks for today,” Rolane said, her voice softer than she intended. “I didn’t realize how much I needed it.”

                Biara’s smile was gentle, her gaze lingering. “Anytime, Ro. You’re not as alone as you think.”

And with that, she was gone, leaving Rolane standing in the doorway, the quiet of her apartment suddenly feeling much heavier, and still smelling like jam filled croissants.